A Closer Look

George Smith, The Football Coach And Athletic Director At St. Thomas Aquinas, Carves Out Space In His Office For Family And For The Many Great Athletes Who Have Come Through The School.

August 25, 2006|BY STAFF WRITER CHRISTY CABRERA CHIRINOS

STATE CHAMPIONS

Photo of the 1992 Class 4A state champion team. The Raiders capped a 14-0 season with a 24-9 victory over Tallahassee Leon to win the school's first football championship. After the season, George Smith stepped down as the team's coach but returned in 1995. "That team really made a commitment to play. That was the year Hurricane Andrew came through and we had no cell phone tree to communicate with the players. There was no water here, no nothing, but they all came to that first practice."

Helmet from the U.S. Army All-America Bowl, signed by the three Raiders players who have participated in the game, Tavares Gooden (2003), Dan Wenger (2006) and Sam Young (2006). Gooden is now playing at Miami, and Wenger, center left, and Young both signed with Notre Dame in February.

SUPERSTAR ALUMNI

Dallas Cowboys' helmet (not in overall picture) worn by Michael Irvin. Irvin played for Smith at St. Thomas in 1983 before going on to the University of Miami and a into a career with the Cowboys. At St. Thomas, Irvin was a first-team All-County selection after a season with 43 receptions for 647 yards. "Michael's had his ups and downs, but ultimately, he's made himself a success," Smith said.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

Renderings of the state championship ring created after the Raiders won the 1997 Class 5A state championship. Next to it is the rendering of the 1999 championship ring. The Raiders defeated Pensacola Escambia 38-35 to win the 1999 title and battled back from a 21-16 halftime deficit. The 1997 title came after a 13-10 win over Springfield Rutherford.

MORE THAN A FOOTBALL COACH

Along with his duties as football coach, Smith is the athletic director at St. Thomas. Hence the soccer banner. Since Smith took over as athletic director in 1982, the Raiders have won more than 50 state championships and have won every Florida High School Athletic Association Floyd E. Lay All-Sports Award in Class 5A since 1995, the year it began.

BRASH AND PROUD

Smith, a big racing fan, received an autographed photo from one of his favorite drivers, Darrell Waltrip. "I'm a big [Jeff] Gordon fan, a big [Dale] Earnhardt fan, but when Waltrip came out, he was brash. No one could ever stone him. People said he was arrogant and vain. If you go back in my history in this county, they've said the same things about me."

A DAY TO REMEMBER

A photo of Smith dancing with daughter Mandy at her 1999 wedding.

GETTING OUT THE GOOD WORD

Stacks of videotapes put together by Smith and his staff to send to college recruiters. "We keep the game film somewhere else," Smith said. "It's not hard to get guys like Sam Young or Danny Wenger scholarships, but for some of the other guys, you really have to work and get the tapes out."

MEET THE COACH

Entering his 30th season as coach at St. Thomas Aquinas, George Smith has a 292-62 record. He has led the Raiders to three state championships and was the first coach in Florida to lead one school to 250 victories. Quirky coincidence? Smith played football at Central Catholic in Lafayette, Ind., and from 1952-1960, St. Thomas Aquinas was named Central Catholic.